Tainted
by wickedblack
Summary: He dances every night for the port's stevedores who only think about drinking. He dances every night for lost sailors who are looking for a fight. He dances every night to the rhythm of salsa and guitar chords. He dances every night and gives his night for a few dollars. AU. RentBoy!Harry DrugAddict!Harry Sailor!Sirius HeadOverHeels!Sirius
1. Chapter 1 - Fay

*****HP*SB*****

 _ _1937.__

Sirius Black arrived at New Orleans tired and annoyed. He had just moved here from England as he had finally been hired on a ship. He still had to grasp the name of said ship but he was sure that he would manage to remember it eventually. Sirius Black was a sailor, an unemployed sailor but a sailor nonetheless. He had had trouble finding work in England and so he had started looking for it abroad.

He had decided to move in New Orleans after realizing that it would have been quite unpractical to remain in England for the ship he was supposed to work on was only travelling from America to France and that it never docked in a British port. There was nothing to hold him back in London anyway so he knew that he would never second guess his decision.

He sighed in relief when he finally reached the little flat he had bought in the city. It was not far from the port but not too close either. He was actually living in the French Quarter, he had lived in worse. He had been able to afford such a flat thanks to his parents' fortune, what with them and his brother being dead, he had been left as the only heir. He had never cared much for them anyway, they were a bunch of stupid and ignorant people. But he couldn't quite refuse to take the money just because they were morons, right?

Sirius didn't even take time to admire his new flat as he let go of his suitcase and let himself fall onto his bed. He only had time to notice that the flat was actually quite fancy and sophisticated. Yet again, he wasn't very surprised, what with the amount of money he had put into it. He briefly considered taking a short nap but then noticed that it was getting quite dark outside. He then considered calling it a night but he heard a few yells coming from the street and couldn't help but go and look at what had caused people to yell.

He sighed once again and reluctantly got to his feet. He walked to the only window in his bedroom and opened it. It opened on a tiny balcony, overlooking Bourbon Street. It was quite the sight actually, with all the shops and windows which were beginning to lighten up. He looked down and his eyes fell on the ones he assumed had yelled, a group of five young men. They looked to be no older than twenty which in Sirius's opinion was way too young to be in the streets so late.

"Are you going tonight?" One of them asked.

"'Course, I wouldn't miss it for the world." Another replied and Sirius couldn't help but wonder what they were talking about.

"You know he's there every night, right?"

"'Course I know, that's why I go every night." Sirius noticed that he was a bit drunk.

He was intrigued now. He wanted to know what they were talking about. He __had__ to know what they were talking about. Well, it seemed that he wouldn't call it a night just yet then. He briefly took a look at himself into the mirror next to his bed and considered shaving. He was arboring a three days old beard and he hated it. But then, he pushed the idea aside, he didn't need to shave just yet, it could wait tomorrow.

He quickly checked that he had some cigarettes in his pocket and then took off, not even bothering with locking his door. He didn't care anyway. He prayed that the boys he had seen in the streets were still there so he could somehow follow them to wherever it was they were going. They obviously were going to have some fun and he couldn't quite miss that.

Luckily, they had only reached the end of the street, allowing Sirius to catch up with them, almost. It would be creepy if they noticed that he was following them and he didn't want them to think that he was some kind of creepy old stalker. Sure, he was only twenty-seven, but still.

He cursed when he noticed that they were getting into a car. It looked like he wouldn't be able to follow them then. He was about to go back to his flat when a car stopped next to him. "Want a ride, mate?" A man asked him with an awfully American accent.

Sirius frowned. "You don't even know where I'm going."

The man laughed. "Everyone is going __there,__ mate. Just like every night. So, fancy a ride?"

Sirius shrugged carelessly. What had he to lose anyway? The worst that could happen to him was that this man and the young men from earlier weren't actually talking about the same place and that he would never get to see what or __who__ it was that they were talking about. He got in the car, mumbling his thanks to the man.

"Foreigner, right?" The man asked as he started driving.

"Yes." Sirius replied. He didn't want to be civil. He was still tired from his trip and didn't want to make any efforts.

"Figured. England, right?"

"Yes."

"Obvious. You British people have such a weird way of talking." The man laughed as though he had heard the best joke ever and Sirius didn't bother replying. Surely the man would shut up if he got no answer. How wrong he was.

"So it's your first time then?" He didn't even let Sirius time to answer, not that he was planning on doing it anyway. "You gonna love it, mate. That boy..." He trailed off as if lost in thought. "You gonna love it. Best show you'll ever see."

Sirius frowned in confusion. People were going __there__ , wherever there was, to see a boy. American people were so messed up. But Sirius was no judgmental person and so he vowed that he would wait to actually see that boy before judging anyone.

The rest of the way to wherever it was they were going was filled with the man's restless chatter, which Sirius didn't even bother to listen to. He realized that they were going toward the port and he found it strange. What were they going to do in the port?

"Here we are." The man said cheerfully as he parked next to a small tavern. It looked old, the wood was rotten and the whole construction looked like it might crumble any moment. A few barrels filled with God knows what were stacked next to the entrance and were covered with green fishing nets. Foam was gathering at the junction between the floor and the tavern's wall. Sirius could only describe it all as disgusting. He got out of the car anyway. There was no going back now.

"Enjoy." The man told him, laughing again. Sirius wanted nothing more than to sew his mouth just so that he wouldn't have to hear that horrible laugh ever again.

He took a deep breath which he regretted immediately as his nostrils were filled with a disgusting smell. Rotten fish. He quickly entered the tavern, wanting to get away from that smell as soon as possible. Unfortunately, the smell inside was no better. It smelt like sweat, rain, seawater and dirt with a hint of beer, tabacco and weed. He looked around, only to notice that it was full. All of the tables were already taken as well as every seat at the bar. He noticed a tiny stage at the far end of the tavern but paid no attention to it, trying to find some place to stay while waiting for whatever that was about to happen.

The light dimmed slightly as he reached the left wall where he could stay, he leaned against the wall and waited as everyone cheered, spilling some of their beer either on the floor, the table or the bar.

Two men who were standing on the stage started playing their guitar. Sirius couldn't deny that their music was catchy and he found himself humming along with it. Then, it happened, __he__ happened, and all hell broke lose. Men yelled, cheered, whistled, bumped into each other and even fell from their seat as a boy entered the stage, dancing.

He looked young, really young, so much so that Sirius doubted that he could be called a man. He was pale and had black hair that fell to the end of his back. He was small and feminine. He could easily be mistaken for a woman. He was thin, dramatically so. Sirius couldn't help but think that if he were to hold him, he would surely break him. He was wearing black harem pants along with a light top which looked more like a veil than anything and a light black veil that was covering him from cheekbones to chin. His face was flawless, unblemished. He had dark eyelashes which fell on his high cheekbones, a thin nose and thin red lips that Sirius could barely see through the veil. But what surprised Sirius the most was his emerald green eyes. He had never seen eyes so green before. He swore that he would be able to look at them for years on end.

The boy's gaze met Sirius's for half a second and he was lost. He wanted those eyes back on him again and to never look away. He could now understand why all those men kept coming back. The boy was irresistible. Sirius himself wondered if he would be able to go back home once the night was over. He felt like he had been hit by a spell and his mind was not his own anymore. He couldn't think about anything other than this perfection dancing before him.

Sirius shook his head and blinked a few times, trying to clear his thoughts. "What's his name?" He eventually asked a man who was standing beside him. He looked old with grayish hair and Sirius wondered what he was doing here. Didn't he have a wife and kids to go home to?

The man shrugged. "Never knew his real name. But people call him Fay."

 ** ***HP*SB*****


	2. Chapter 2 - Fake Truth

Sirius was enthralled. He couldn't take his eyes off the dark and enticing creature in front of him. He felt like nothing else mattered, it was just him and this boy. __Fay__. He knew why everyone was coming here now, he understood their obsession. It was irresistible, __he__ was irresistible. He could barely begin to understand how deep their obsession went though. His own was quite deep and unexpected and he had only known the boy for a few minutes. Others had probably been coming for weeks, months, years even and they could probably not live without seeing Fay anymore.

Sirius couldn't help but wonder how long it would take for him to reach such a state. He wished for it to never happen. He hated depending on people. He had depended on his parents once and he had been immensely deceived. But he knew how he felt right now, he was already too taken with the boy for it to never happen. Sirius was no fool though, he knew fairly well that he had no feelings for the boy and that he would never have feelings for him. He was sure he would never get to know the boy enough to develop feelings for him and he was quite grateful for it. He had had a lot of relationships, with men and women both, back home and he had decided to give up on relationships altogether. The only thing that mattered now was the sea. His one true love.

It was merely physical attraction he felt for the boy. Just like everyone else. He was pulled out of his thoughts by a shout of encouragement coming from beside him. He had been so caught up in his musings that he had missed part of the show. He focused back on Fay just in time to see him roll his hips sensually while his arms were raised above his head, exposing his sharp hipbones. Each and every one of the men whistled but Sirius found that he was too hypnotized to breathe, much less whistle. He had never seen such a beautiful creature before, for that was what he was, __beautiful__. Fay looked like he knew it and allowed everyone to enjoy it. Sirius couldn't take his eyes off the boy's hips and wondered what it would feel like to run his fingers over them. Were they sharp enough to actually cut?

Sirius was ripped out of his staring when he felt a hard elbow hit his side. He gasped in surprise, caught off guard by the pain that ran up from his ribs and turned his head to glare at the man. It was the same man as before, the one who had told him that the boy's name was Fay but he didn't seem to have noticed that he had actually hit Sirius in his haste to cheer for more of the boy's dance. Sirius sighed, he was in no mood to pick up a fight and he wanted in no way to be thrown out and miss on the show. He wanted to stay until the pub closed and he wanted to come back the next day, and the day after that, and the day after that until he was to set sail.

Instead he looked back at Fay and gray met green. Sirius's jaw fell at the intensity of the boy's gaze, he had thought there were nothing more hypnotizing than the boy's moving hips but he had been wrong. He had never seen eyes so green and so enticing before. The smirk that had been on the boy's face since the moment he arrived faded into a grin, as he lifted an eyebrow as though to dare Sirius to come and get him. Sirius bit his lower lip, holding back a groan as he felt a bulge forming in his pants. Fay's eyes flashed with mirth as though he knew exactly the effect he had on Sirius. And he probably did, he had the same effect on everyone, surely he must have noticed it by now.

Sirius took a deep breath, willing his hardness to go away, his eyes still fixed Fay's. The boy winked at Sirius once before closing his eyes, his features relaxing as he began to enjoy the music fully. He let the music guide him, trusting his body enough to seduce the men by itself as he let go and it was a sight to behold.

Sirius knew he had to look away or else his cock wouldn't soften, it was a certainty. His gaze went over the room, trying to find something to distract himself with, until he caught sight of a man forcefully making his way to the stage Fay was on. Sirius decided right then and there that he didn't like the guy. He reminded Sirius of a bat with his black outfits, hisblack, greasy shoulder-length hair and his obsidian eyes. It was too much black on one person and his pale skin didn't make things any better. His ugly face made Sirius cringe inwardly. His eyebrows were too thick, he had wrinkles everywhere even though he looked to be no older than Sirius himself, his lips were too thin and his nose was way too big for a human being. He walked fast and looked extremely determined. He looked like he __owned__ the place.

Sirius followed the man with his eyes, watching his every move. "Who is it?" He asked the man beside him.

It took a moment for the man to reply as he was probably trying to figure out who Sirius was talking about. "Oh, that's Severus Snape. He's a regular."

Sirius scoffed. A regular. Of course he was a regular. The man was too ugly to have any kind of social life so obviously he would come here. Just so that he could satisfy his perverted mind. Sirius nearly gasped when he saw the man, __Severus__ , get onto the stage and take hold of Fay's waist, pressing the boy to his chest. He caught sight of fear and annoyance flash through the boy's eyes and Sirius almost ran to them and snatched the boy from the bat's arms. The idea of someone so sickening touching a perfect being such as Fay was revolting.

Fay glanced sideways, looking pleadingly at another man. Sirius followed the boy's gaze and his eyes fell on a young man. Sirius couldn't deny that he was quite handsome. He had wavy dark brown hair and a pale skin. He looked tall even though he was sitting at one of the tables, sipping a bottle of ale. His muscles were visible through his long-sleeved shirt. But what surprised Sirius the most was his crimson red eyes. They were frightening and intimidating.

"And who's that one?" He asked the man who had given him both Fay and Snape's names. "The one with the red-"

"Shut up." The man hissed as he pressed his hand against Sirius's mouth. "Don't say anything about __that__. I don't know how but he can hear everything. If you value your life even a little bit, just shut up." The man waited for Sirius to nod before removing his hand. "Good. That's Tom Riddle. The __owner__."

"He owns the pub?" Sirius asked.

"Not only the pub." The man said, looking at Sirius pointedly as though willing him to understand exactly what he was talking about.

Sirius was no stupid man, he knew __exactly__ what the man was talking about. Riddle __owned__ Fay. He was the one who was running the business, he was the one making the decisions, he was the Master here. Sirius looked back at the man, __Tom__ , just in time to see him nodding ever so slightly at Fay. Sadness and resignation flashed briefly through the boy's eyes and then it was all gone, replaced by a smug smile, his eyes shining with mock mirth. Sirius was not fooled.

Fay looked up at Snape. Sirius could not hear the boy from where he was but he was glad that he knew how to read lips.

"Do you have some?" Fay said.

"Plenty, and enough money, as always." Snape answered as he grabbed Fay's arse, causing his and Fay's groins to rub against one another.

Fay didn't even react to the man touching him, as though he was used to it. Sirius realized that Fay was probably very well acquainted with the feeling. "Alright then." Fay conceded.

Sirius couldn't help but wonder what Fay had been talking about. What would he want if it was not money? A smirk appeared on Snape's lips before he forcefully pressed them against Fay's. Sirius could see the bat's tongue forcing its way into the boy's mouth and Fay kept standing there, allowing it all to happen yet not playing a part in the act. His arms remained limp by his sides.

Snape took a firm hold of Fay's hair and pulled, exposing the boy's neck further before launching on it, attacking it with all his might, kissing and biting. Fay turned his head, allowing Snape to devour his neck and his eyes met Sirius's once again. Sirius felt like the earth stood still and it was just him and Fay once again.

A small, genuine smile appeared on the boy's lips before he closed his eyes, freeing Sirius from their hypnotic power.

"Looks like the show's over." A man told Sirius as he sighed in dejection.

But Sirius couldn't move, couldn't breathe. He was spellbound by the sight in front of him. The twenty-seven-year-old pictured himself in Snape's stead, holding and kissing Fay, devouring the mesmerizing creature. He wanted to be the one Fay offered himself to. He gulped when Fay wrapped his arms around Snape's neck and jumped to wrap his legs about his large waist as their mouths collided back together. Sirius wanted to watch more but he also wanted to rip Snape's head off. He watched as Snape climbed a set of stairs and until both men disappeared behind a door which probably led to a bedroom.

"Show's over." A deep voice said. "Get out. He'll be busy all night." Sirius looked up and his eyes met crimson red ones. "Come back tomorrow." A shiver ran down Sirius's spine at the coldness the voice held, which was actually matching the man's eyes.

Sirius nodded numbly and got up on shaky legs. He got out, Fay's green eyes still flashing through his mind. He wanted to go back there, snatch Fay from Snape's arms and bring him home to never let him out ever again. But then again, it would make him no better than that Tom Riddle who enjoyed selling such a beautiful being to people.

Sirius was surprised to see that the man who had drove him here was actually waiting for him outside. "Enjoyed yourself?" He asked, a knowing smile on his face.

Sirius shrugged, hoping that he looked like he didn't care. He didn't want people to think that he was already addicted when it was his first time. "T'was okay." He mumbled.

"No need to lie, you know." The man said, a small chuckle escaping his lips. "Well, I figured you'd need a ride back home so..." He trailed off.

"Sure. Thanks." Sirius replied, actually glad the man had thought to wait for him.

"Well, get in." He smiled as Sirius obliged at once. "Name's Remus by the way." He finally introduced himself as he started the car.

"Sirius." Sirius introduced himself back.

"Siriously?" Remus said, a playful smile on his face.

"Don't you dare. Don't even go there." Sirius warned him. "I suffered enough."

"Sorry." Remus laughed. "It was just too easy."

"Anyway..." Sirius started but trailed off as soon as he realized that he didn't know whether or not he could ask Remus the questions he wanted to. Perhaps he would find it weird or annoying.

"Go ahead. Ask away." Remus reassured him.

"Well, just- I wanted to know some things about the boy."

"Fay?"

"Yeah, Fay." Sirius hadn't been sure that Remus actually knew the boy's name but it looked like he had been wrong. Remus just didn't look like the type to go to such pubs, much less pay attention to dancers.

"What about him?"

"Well, does he- I don't know, does he do that a lot?" Sirius mumbled, clearly ill-at-ease.

"What? Dancing?" Remus asked, a small smile on his face, proof that he knew exactly what Sirius was talking about.

"Not dancing, the other thing."

"Which is?"

"Oh, for Merlin's sake, you know what I'm talking about. Does he sleep with people a lot?" Sirius finally asked, annoyed with Remus's behavior.

"Merlin's sake? The hell is that expression?" Remus asked.

"It's British. Now, answer me."

"So eager. Want a taste?"

"No, just wondering." Sirius defended himself but it sounded lame even to his own ears.

"Yes, he does that a lot. Every night actually, someone different every night. There are some regulars though, Riddle's friends mostly. That's what he's paid for. He dances and then someone comes up or Riddle brings someone and then the show's over. That's why Riddle puts the boy on display. He knows how beautiful Fay is and he loves money and power. He owns Fay and Fay brings him money. A lot. The man's in Heaven. Sure, Fay's beautiful and in my opinion, he would bring as much money as he does now if he was only dancing but Riddle enjoys-" He trailed off. "I don't know. He enjoys selling Fay for the night and knowing that at the end of the day, the boy's his, only his."

"That's sick." He mumbled, ashamed that he had actually thought about paying Riddle to have Fay for one night. "Have you ever-?" Sirius asked, realizing that he was unable to finish his question.

"Me? Never. I just enjoy the show, the dancing and all that. I'm a bit old-fashioned, I don't want to sleep with someone I don't love."

Sirius surely was surprised. "So you just, what, buy a drink and watch him dance?"

"Exactly."

"That's creepy, man." Sirius said, looking at Remus with a small, playful frown on his face.

"Maybe." Remus said, laughing whole-heartedly. "As if paying a boy to have sex with him was better."

"Fair enough." Sirius replied, laughing as well.

"But you're free to do as you please. You looked like you wanted to have a taste earlier. Besides, Fay seems to like it."

"You watched me?" Sirius asked, his eyebrows shooting up in surprise.

"Just wanted to see your reaction." Remus mumbled. "I believe that's where you live." Remus added as he stopped the car.

Sirius looked out and realized that they were actually in front of his place. "How did you know?"

"I saw you moving in earlier. I live right here." Remus explained, poiting at the building facing Sirius's.

"Oh, right." Sirius replied. "Well, see you around then." He said as he quickly got out of the car. He had to admit that Remus had scared him slightly but he was probably getting ideas. The only man he had actually got on with today couldn't be a madman, right? Well, that would be his luck.

Sirius was relieved when he entered his flat. He had forgotten how tired he actually was until he felt the warmth of his home. He stiffled a yawn and made his way to bed, not even bothering with getting into his nightclothes. He let himself fall into bed, his head hitting his fluffy pillow hard.

He took a moment to think back about his evening, about Fay mostly. He couldn't get the boy out of his head. He haunted him and he didn't seem to want to leave. Sirius knew that he was being silly. He couldn't be addicted already, right? That was stupid. There was no way he could be so enthralled by the boy already. But no matter how hard he tried, his thoughts remained on the boy's delicious body and his cock seemed to agree with them as he felt himself growing hard. He groaned in annoyance and closed his eyes, willing himself to fall asleep.

One single thought ran through his mind as he drifted off to sleep. __He wanted a taste__.


	3. Chapter 3 - Friends

*****HP*SB*****

Sirius groaned as sun hit his face. He had been awake for quite some time but he had been busy relishing in the darkness and peace that filled his room. But sun came and broke his peaceful cocoon. He had trouble sleeping but had gotten used to it over the last few years. He always ended up waking up before the sun even thought about raising though.

It looked like it would be a sunny day today and so Sirius decided to spend the day walking around the town. He had nothing better to do anyway. He would just explore until night came, until he could go back to the pub. Sirius groaned once again when he realized that he was already thinking about Fay. It was only morning and the boy had already invaded his thoughts. He wasn't supposed to think about him, not so early in the morning.

Sirius sighed, got out of bed and went to take a shower. He sighed in delight when the boiling water hit his skin and halped his aching muscles to relax. He couldn't help but wonder whether Fay liked hot showers or cold showers, he wondered if Fay was taking a shower right now. Of course he was not, it was way too early for him to be awake. His client must have kept him awake all night anyway.

Sirius shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. He shouldn't be thinking about Fay. He had seen the boy only once and everything reminded Sirius of him already. He was so screwed.

He heard someone knocking on his front door just as he was about to get out of the shower. Another sigh escaped his lips as he quickly wrapped a towel around his waist. He didn't bother dressing up. Someone had dared disturbe him so early in the morning so he would bother them by answering the door half naked.

His eyebrows shot up to his hairline when his eyes fell on Remus. "Remus. Hi." Sirius said, feeling self-conscious all of a sudden. He didn't want Remus to see him in such a state of undress.

"Hi." Remus mumbled. Sirius certainly didn't miss the way the man looked at him up and down. He was sure that Remus would start drooling in a couple seconds.

"What did you want?" Sirius asked, his voice colder than he had intended but he couldn't deny that Remus checking him out made him rather uneasy. He was used to people checking him out but there was something about Remus that made him nervous. Sirius didn't know what though and it only infuriated him further.

"Sorry." Remus mumbled before clearing his throat awkwardly. "I was wondering if, maybe, you wanted to go out? Well, not like a date of course just, well, sight-seeing and uh, you know, get used to the city." Remus rambled awkwardly. Sirius could have sworn he heard Remus's heart beat madly into his chest.

Sirius didn't want to go. He didn't want to spend time with Remus but then he figured it was his best option. Remus looked like he has been living here for a long time, perhaps he was even born here, and so he probably could show Sirius everything that there was to see. Then again, maybe Sirius would be better off on his own.

He was about to tell Remus that he was fine and that he didn't plan on visiting the city today, which obviously was a lie, but then he noticed how pale the man was. He was extremely nervous and looked like he was about to faint. Sirius knew that he shouldn't but he took pity of the man and gave in. "Okay." He sighed. "Just let him get dress."

"Sure." Remus replied, a delighted smile on his face. Sirius noticed the way it lightened his face up and made him look younger and prettier but he ignored it. He didn't want to find anyone pretty or beautiful right now. He didn't want to get involved with anyone right now.

Fay was beautiful though.

"Come in." Sirius offered because he couldn't just leave Remus on the doorstep. It was unbecoming and Sirius had been brought up as a gentleman. Even though his being sailor had wipped most of his education off him, he still tried to act like the proper Lord he was supposed to be as often as he could. "Did you have breakfast yet?"

"I did." Remus replied, his smile never leaving his face.

"Well, I was planning on having some breakfast myself after my shower." Sirius said as he went to the bathroom to quickly get dressed. "I'm sure some juice would do you some good." He said loud enough for Remus to hear him as he put a dark shirt and pants on.

"What are you saying exactly?" Sirius could hear Remus smiling.

Sirius got out of the bathroom and he was much more comfortable talking with Remus when he was actually seeing the man. "Well, I'm not saying you look sick or anything but you look a little pale."

Sirius had noticed the paleness of Remus's skin from the second he had met the man. He looked like a walking dead next to Sirius and his tanned skin, no exaggeration. Remus's expression didn't fall but Sirius saw the way his smile didn't quite reach his eyes anymore. He couldn't help but wonder if perhaps he had said something he shouldn't have. "We don't get much sun in New Orleans."

Sirius narrowed his eyes suspiciously as he looked at Remus over his shoulder. "It's sunny right now."

"Yeah. Well, just-" Remus trailed off, shrugging.

Sirius decided not to pry any further. It wasn't any of his business what the man did of his life. "Juice then?" He asked as he poured himself a glass.

"Please." Remus replied as he sat down at the table. "Thanks." He added as Sirius handed him a glass full of juice. A light blush spread on Remus's cheeks, making him look slightly less on the verge to die.

Sirius ate breakfast as fast as he could. He realized that he was quite eager to visit the city. He only had two weeks before he was to set sail and so he had to make the most of it. Remus talked through breakfast. He talked about some of his acquaintances. Turned out he knew very few people and they seemed to be great friends. Sirius wished he had such friends. Unfortunately, there was only the sea in his life right now.

There was Peter who had went to school with Remus. From Remus's stories, Peter seemed to be a loyal friend but quite skittish. Then there was James who was Remus's best-friend. They spent most of their time together but James was living with Lily, another friend of Remus's, and so they got to spend less time together lately. James used to spend a lot of time at Remus's but with Lily being pregnant, his visits were more scarce and unexpected. James seemed to be a prankster and Sirius was sure he would get on well with him. James and Lily had been married for two years and now they were expecting a baby. Sirius noticed the happiness coming off in waves from Remus when he talked about his best-friends and their unborn baby, so much so that Sirius was sure he could touch it. James and Lily had asked Remus to be the baby's godfather and the man was over the moon. It was endearing to see how much the man cared about his godchild already.

Peter, James and Lily were Remus's closest friends and then there were Frank, Alice and Marlene. They had all went to school together and had remained close. Frank and Alice were married, Marlene was in a long-term relationship with some guy from Baton-Rouge and Peter seemed to be a hopeless case. Sirius couldn't help but feel sorry for Remus. He seemed to be the only single guy in his group of friends. That was kind of sad.

"What about you?" Remus finally asked as they got out of Sirius's flat.

"What?" Remus's question was unexpected. Sirius didn't want to talk about his life in England.

"What about your friends?" Remus asked, a small smile on his face. "Surely you must have some, right?"

"Well, I just arrived yesterday so..." He trailed off.

"I mean in England." Remus didn't seem to want to give up.

Sirius briefly considered lying because he had met Remus just yesterday and the man had no right to know about his personal life but he also wanted to lie because he didn't have any friends and that was kind of hard to admit. He didn't want to damage his ego

He sighed. "I don't have any." He mumbled under his breath. He wished Remus had missed the words as soon as they left his mouth. He didn't know why he had said that. A lie was so much better.

"Oh. How come? I mean you look like the kind of guy who has many friends." A nervous smile escaped Remus's lips. "I'm sure a lot of people want to be friends with you."

Now that Sirius came to think of it, very few people had approached him in England, as though they were afraid of him. He was sure that was his parents' doing. He came from an old and wealthy family. They were pratically considered royalty back home and so very few people were allowed to talk to them. Even in school, all the children seemed to avoid him as though they thought there would be repercussions later on and the only ones who wanted to befriend Sirius were bullies who were only after his wealth. His little brother, Regulus, had not seemed bothered by it but Sirius didn't like it one bit. The first people he had been able to talk to, other than his family and some family friends, were sailors. He had been eighteen and it had been his first time on a ship.

"Not really." Sirius sighed. "I come from an old family and people didn't seem to want to talk to me or to anyone related to me. Maybe it was because my name is Black." Sirius shrugged carelessly. "I don't know."

"Wait. You're a __Black__? From like __the__ Blacks?" Remus asked as he froze in the middle of the street. Sirius felt his heart stop in his chest. He didn't really like Remus but he was the first person he had talked to in New Orleans and he wouldn't have minded having someone he could call a friend. He didn't really know Remus yet but he had hoped that, with time, Remus and he would have become good friends. Sirius didn't want to lose Remus because his last name was Black. He didn't want Remus to befriend him for his money.

"Yes." Sirius mumbled, dreading Remus's answer.

"Great. 'Cause I have no idea who they are." Remus said, a playful smile on his lips.

A relieved and shocked chuckle escaped Sirius's lips and he felt his heart beat again and he let out a breath he didn't know he had been holding. "You're stupid."

"I know." Remus laughed. "How about we do some real sight-seeing now?"

Sirius quickly agreed and looked around himself for the first time since they had left his flat. They walked through endless streets and Remus talked and talked and talked. He told Sirius which restaurant he needed to go to in order to eat some really good food. He told him which shops he needed to visit, who was living where, who was living with whom, who was having an affair with whom, whose marriage was on the verge of dissolving itself and so on. Remus just didn't stop talking even as they stopped to have some lunch and Sirius found out that he was happy to listen. He also found out that Remus was a funny person and he spent most of the afternoon laughing. He wouldn't mind spending more time with Remus.

Before Sirius knew it, it was nearly nightfall and they were back to Sirius's flat. As nightfall came, Fay assaulted Sirius's thoughts once more. He hadn't even noticed that the boy had left his mind. He hadn't thought about Fay once throughtout the whole day and he had to thank Remus for that. "I had a great time." He said as he let himself fall on the couch, Remus right beside him.

"So did I." Remus said, a small laugh leaving his lips.

"How about we have some dinner and then we can go to the pub." Sirius suggested as a small blush appeared on his cheeks. He was ashamed of himself and his eagerness to see Fay once again.

A knowing and slightly sad smile appeared on Remus's lips but it was gone as soon as it came. "I'm not really hungry but you have some dinner. I'll just wait for you."

"Are you sure?" Remus merely nodded once. "Well, you know what? I'm not hungry either." Sirius was ashamed to admit it but he couldn't wait to see Fay and he was ready to skip dinner just so that they could be there earlier. It was getting late and he knew that if they left right now they would be a little early but he didn't care.

"Alright. I assume you don't have a car, do you?" Sirius shook his head. "Figured. You don't want to be friends just so that I can give you a lift, do you?"

Sirius hadn't even thought of that and he was horrified to realize that Remus had thought so low of him. "What? No! I didn't-"

"I'm kidding." Remus cut him off, chuckling softly as he got up from the couch and went to the front door. "You might want to hurry." He called from outside the flat.

Sirius did as he was told and hurried to join Remus. They went to his car and Remus was back to talking once again. He decided to talk about his unborn godchild this time as he drove them through the streets. Sirius listened half-heartedly as he talked about the toys he would buy and the places he would take him as he was caught up in thoughts of Fay.

He wondered what the boy was doing right now. Was he preparing himself somehow? Was he maybe having dinner? What would he be wearing tonight? Was he always wearing the same thing when he danced? Was he the one to choose his clients or was it owner, __Tom__ , who chose? Would Sirius get to be chosen tonight?

"We're here." Remus said as he stopped the car. No one was here yet which meant that they were really early. Sirius looked at Remus who had a hurt look in his eyes but it was gone as soon as Remus realized he was being watched and the man smiled before going out of the car.

Sirius sighed as he felt as though he had insulted Remus somehow. He got out of the car as well and joined Remus. "Should we just go in or..?" He asked.

"Well, I'm going in. You're free to do as you please." He said coldly before entering the pub.

Sirius must have said something wrong. He __knew__ that he had done something wrong but the problem was that he didn't know what it was. He decided to remian outside for a bit, just to give Remus some time to cool down. He rounded the pub, trying to get closer to the sea. He needed to be closer to the sea, it helped him think.

He tried to remember what he had done to offend Remus but he came up short. He was so caught up in his thoughts that he nearly missed the light coming from the pub, it came from a slightly ajar door. It was only then that he noticed the voices coming from there. Sirius walked slowly toward it, trying not to be heard himself. He couldn't recognize the voices and he was surprised by the sight that greeted him when he looked inside.

Fay was there, sitting on a small table, dressed in red. He was eating some ice cream and was facing Tom, __the owner__ , who looked quite displeased.

"But I don't want Lucius tonight." Fay whined. Sirius's heart melted at the sound of Fay's voice. He sounded like an angel fell from heaven. His voice was irresistible and melodious. It suited him perfectly.

"Who do you want then?" Tom growled out.

"I don't know." Fay shrugged, his mouth full of ice cream.

A drop of melted ice cream escaped Fay's mouth but the boy didn't seem to notice. Sirius wished he just could lick the drop away. He wouldn't mind licking more than the ice cream. Tom seemed to have read Sirius's mind because he went to Fay in two short steps and lick the ice cream away because kissing Fay full on the mouth. Jealousy and envy exploded into Sirius's chest. It was so intense it burnt. Sirius couldn't help but wonder if the two were actually in a relationship. He really hoped not.

Fay didn't move and didn't return the kiss though. It was the only confirmation Sirius needed, they were __not__ in a relationship.

"You never know what you want." Tom growled out.

"Maybe." Fay admitted. "I know what I don't want though and I don't want Lucius. He's always too rough and I'm still sore from Severus last night. Those two are beasts." Fay whined.

"So you want someone new?" Tom asked.

"Yes. Besides Lucius never has what I need. Well, if I get someone new, they won't either." A worried frown appeared on Fay's flawless face.

Tom pulled something out of his pocket and gave it to Fay. "It should be enough for tonight. I'll find you someone new."

It was only then that Sirius understood that they were talking about clients, more specifically about the one who would get to be with Fay tonight. Sirius had been so caught in his staring that he hadn't even tried to understand their conversation.

Sirius's heart skipped a beat when Fay looked up from Tom and gray met green. Fay's eyes shone with mirth and small smirk appeared on his full red lips. He licked his lips before leaning over to whisper into Tom's ear. It was brief but Sirius couldn't hear any of it.

Tom whirled around and his crimson red eyes fell on Sirius. He glared daggers at him and Sirius felt extremely threatened. Sirius was sure that if looks could kill, he would be dead right now. Tom wasted no time and hurried to the door to close. The last thing Sirius saw was Fay bending over the table over some white powder. The door slammed shut and Sirius felt stupid for letting Tom catch him spying on he and Fay.

He sighed and decided to go and join Remus, all thought of the sea forgotten. Surely Remus had had enough time to calm down, besides Sirius wasn't planning on missing the show.

He had gotten a glimpse of Fay's outfit for tonight and he loved it. He wouldn't miss Fay looking dashing dressed in red. It was a sight to behold.

 ** ***HP*SB*****


End file.
